Nicholas Craig

Jun 24 2005 By Nicholas Craig, The Journal

The police, working with leisure operators and the licensed trade are cracking down on drunken behaviour this summer.

It's a targeted, effective campaign to stop a few bad apples destroying the enjoyment of everyone.

The North-East has a great reputation for its nightlife. Most nights Newcastle streets are thronged with people attracted to the bars and clubs that have made it one of the country's top evening destinations.

Even so, the North-East is one of the safest places in the country to live. Crime fell by 9% last year, having dropped 32% since the 1990s.

It's essential that we keep violent and anti-social behaviour under control to maintain the energy of the city and increase the enjoyment of thousands who visit each week.

The demon drink is becoming a growing problem nationwide and has to be tackled. The police campaign seeks to stop trouble before it starts with a word of warning to groups of drinkers - including stag and hen parties - that they should control the amount they drink.

I watched last week as a good number of police officers visited a city centre hotel, where dozens of stag party revellers were staying.

An early evening chat between the stag set and uniformed officers seemed to work well - both sides were friendly, co-operative and ready to listen.

By educating rather than clamping down on drinkers, the current police campaign could achieve far more than late-night arrests ever manage.

A lively city centre atmosphere is key to our future as a tourist and business destination. Helping to check binge drinkers and rowdiness will do wonders for our friendly reputation and keep us ahead of other places, where drunks succeed in spoiling the evening for others.

We're a nation of drinkers, but the statistics are frightening. In the UK, 88% of criminal damage is caused by people who have drunk alcohol. There are 13,000 drunken scraps outside bars each week and 150,000 people need hospital treatment. Alcohol-related crime costs £7.3bn a year.

We're some way from adopting a "continental" drinking culture in the North-East, but the police, working alongside enlightened leisure operators such as Absolute Leisure and the Gate, will ensure our fantastic nightlife is memorable for all the right reasons.

Let's party on - in merry moderation.